Combined letter and parcel-post mail-box.



J. A. WAUGH. COMBINED LETTER AND PARCEL POST MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6, 1914.

1,1 30,047. Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

James A. waugh, 92 y W rHE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTCJJTHO wlmunvnrmv n r ATENT OFTG.

JAMES A. WAUGH, OF LOUISIANA, MISSOURI.

COMBINED LETTER AND PABCEL-I'OST MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

Application filed. July 6, 1914. Serial No. 849,129.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, James A. WAUGH, citizen of the United States, residing at Louisiana, in the county of Pike and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Letter and Parcel-Post Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a combined letter and parcels post mail box, particularly adapted for use upon rural delivery routes, although it is not limited to use in this connection.

The present application is somewhat similar to my co-pending application, Serial No. 809,909, filed January 2, 1914, and allowed June 20, 1914, but presents features of improvement thereover, in that a single locking element is provided, adapted to lock both boxes by a single operation. Other than this the structure shown in this application and in my former application are substantially the same. Likethe former application this application has for its object a structure which will not be affected by the weather and will be arranged in such manner that the contents of the parcels post package box may be dumped directly into the rig of the carrierwithout the necessity of reaching down into said box.

The invention herein shown and described is an improvement upon that set forth in my copending application which, since the filing of this application, 'has resulted in the grant of Patent No. 1,105,730.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which now follows.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a side view partly in section of a device constructed in accordance with the invention; and Fig. 2 is a partial front elevation thereof.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in both of the figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing the numeral 5 designates a supporting post which may be braced, as at 6, in any desired manner. A strut 7, is engaged with a keeper 8, at the top of the post and not only aids in bracing the post but forms a support to limit the swinging motion of the parcel box in one direction.

The box for parcels post matter is indi' cated at 9, and comprises the body portion of the shape shown and the cover 10, which is hinged to the body portion at 11. This cover is provided at its sides with downturned flanges 12, which lap over the sides of the box. provided with a roll 13, over which a curved flange 1 forming a continuation of the top 10, snugly fits. The box 9, is pivoted at 15, to the top of the post and is braced by members 16, from said .pivot point. Mounted upon the top 10 of box 9, is a letter mail box 17. The bottom 18, of box 17, terminates in a roll 19. The front wall of this box is adapted to be closed by a door 20 having cars 21 slotted at 22 to engage with rivets 23 carried by the side walls of the box. The lower edge of door 20 is provided with a roll 2 1 which lies against and coacts with roll 19 as presently set forth. A brace extends from roll 19 to curved flange 1 1 and aids in supporting the front end of the letter mail box 17, which overhangs the front end of the top 10 of box 9. A. keeper 26, located in box 17, is adapted to hold in place a change or stamp cup 27, in which money or stamps, for postage may be placed. The bottom 18 of box 17 carries upstanding inclined flanges 28 and 29, flange 29 serving to hold the front ends of short letters elevated and flange 28 serving to hold the front ends of long letters elevated. Signals comprising round or disk-like members 30, are secured by chains, cords, or like flexible members to the box, these flexible members permitting the signals to be normally kept inside of the box so that they are protected from the weather. When these signals are placed outside they indicate to the carrier that there is mail in the boxes to be collected.

Pivoted at 31 to the front face of box 5, is a hasp comprising the portions 32 and that are hingedly connected to each other at Fit. The portion is slotted at 35, to adapt it to engage over the staple 86, carried by door 20, so that when the padlock 57, is engaged with this staple, the door 20, is held against movement, and since this engagement of the hasp with the door 20 prevents the elevation of box 17, it follows that the cover 10 is likewise held in its closed position.

The operation of the device is as follows: Nhen the padlock is removed and the hasp is disengaged from the staple, it falls to the The front wall of the box is dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, at which time it serves as a hand-grasp for a child to permit a child to pull the box' 5 over upon its pivot and to remove the mail from both of the'boxes. It is frequently the case that children are sent to the mail boxes, and much annoyance has been experienced by the mail carriers, due to the fact that the children place boxes or other objects in front of the mail box so that they may stand upon them to reach into the mail-box, and since they frequently leave these'objects in front of the mail box, the mail carrier has difiiculty in driving close enough to the post to reach the box without dismounting from his rig. By the provision of the rolls 24 and 19, the carrier can slip his fingers up beneath roll 24: without removing his gloves to open door 20 and by virtue of the fact that the ends of the letters are held elevated by flanges 28 and 29, he is enabled to grasp the letter mail without removing his gloves.

'After the contents of the letter mail box have been removed, the carrier pulls for ward bodily upon said box to rock box 9 upon its pivot 15, it being understood that the carriers wagon has been driven to such a positionin front of post 5 that the'contents of the box 9, may be dumped directly into the Wagon. As the box 9 swings over, the top stays closed until said top reaches a vertical position, after which continued movement of the box 9, will cause the top 10, to swing away from box 9, to permit the contents of the said box to be discharged into the carriers wagon. The projection of the forward end ofthe box 17, to a marked degree, beyond the front wall of box 9, serves several important advantages. In the first place, it brings this box into position so the carrier can effectively reach it without driving too close to post 5, and this is necessary because this box offers a grasp by which the entire structure can be pulled over upon pivot 15. Furthermore this structure prevents the accumulation of snow upon and over door 20. It is apparent that if box 17 rested directly upon the large fiat top, of box 9, the snow could pile up and completely cover box 17.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that simple and efficient means are herein provided for accomplishing the objects of the invention, but while the elements I shown and described are well adapted to serve the purposes for which they are intended, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth, but includes Within its purview such changes as may be madewith in the scope of the appended claims.

"Having described my invention what I claim is: 4

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with the package box with a movablecover therefor, a letter mail box mounted upon said movable cover of the package box, a movable cover for the mail 0x and a single locking element arranged to lock both of said covers by one operation 7 2. In a device of the character described the combination with the package box having the hinged cover of a letter box mounted upon said hinged cover, a door for said package box and a single locking element engaged with the package box and withjthe door of the letter mail box to thereby lock the door of the letter mail box against movement and hold the lid of the package box.

3.. In a device of the character described the combination with a support, of a package box pivoted to said support and adapted to.-;-have 'swinging movement with vrelation thereto, a movable cover for said package box, a letter mail box mounted upon said cover, a door for said letter mail box and a locking element adapted to lock the door of the letter mail box to the package box whereby both the door of the letter mail box and the lid of the package box are secured.

4. In a device of the character described. the combination with a support of a package box pivoted to said support and adapted to have swinging movement with relation thereto, a movable cover for said package box, a lettermail box mounted upon the cover of the package box, a door for said letter mail box and a. locking element adapted to lock the door of the letter mail box to the package box whereby both the vdoor of the letter mail box and the lid of the pack age box are secured.

5. In a device'of the character described the combination witha pivotally mounted package box of a hinged cover for said package box, a letter mail box mounted upon the cover of the package box and a jointed hasp-like member the lower end of which is pivoted to the package box and the upper end of which is adapted to engage the door of the letter box.

In testimony whereof I a fiix my signature in presence of two witnesses. V g v J MEs wxUeH. Witnesses:

CHAs. L. WVAHL, V HENRY NABER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

v Washington. D. C. 

